Chromeo & Holy Ghost @ The Phoenix – August 3, 2010

You knew it was going to be a special kind of night.  The weather held up, the humidity was getting guys and girls alike to strip down to barely nothing and the epic bill of Chromeo/Holy Ghost were playing at the Phoenix.  I remember I have been trying to see Chromeo since their last tour, I even had tickets too – but then I ended up having to sell them and not go due to family commitments.  Well not this time, this time I was going to experience it all.

Arriving at the Phoenix, Kelly and I walked mid-way through the set of Brooklyn’s own Telephoned.  Currently signed to A-Trak’s Fool’s Gold imprint, Telephoned were simply put – a cover band.  While they took recognizable songs and mashed them up, I felt like I was trapped in a Korean karaoke lounge with a friend who had potentially brought their own CD of beats. It got me head bobbing, but it wasn’t exactly mind-blowing.

Next up was Holy Ghost!, also hailing from Brooklyn NYC, who laid down the perfect groundwork for the evening.  Complete with synths, cowbells and the occasional symbal crash, Holy Ghost brought their disco-ladden and new wave sound.  Maybe it has been the touring with LCD Soundsystem, but they were channeling some serious Hot Chip and LCD vibes in this set.  The only complaint I would have to say about the Holy Ghost set was that it seemed so short.  In the blink of an eye, it was all over.  That’s when you know you’ve been completely wrapped up within the music.  You don’t even realize you’re there anymore.

I will make this comment about Chromeo, they don’t have any quasi-celebrity hang-ups about them. Dave-1 from the band came out into the crowd several times prior to the show actually starting to check out Telephoned and Holy Ghost, without too many ladies bothering him.  Since he was standing beside me, I got to listen in on one of these conversations.  It consisted of music, Toronto and just general chit-chat. But as soon as the clock struck, 10:55PM – he dashed away.

Without further adieu, Chromeo took to the stage launching into their new single, “Don’t Turn The Lights On” from the album Business Casual.  The strobe lights show was intense (especially for someone who is epileptic, like me!), but I managed to find a safe haven where I could still see the stage without getting killed by the lights.  Dave-1 and P-Thugg definitely know how to give a crowd what they came for, pulling out all the classics from their previous album “Fancy Footwork” like “Tenderoni” and “Bonafied Lovin”.  The Phoenix was one big sweat pit of bros, hoes, and fans alike. The set was danceable and funkadelic.  Gave an awesome preview of the album to come.  Personally, I had not seen Toronto go that hard on a Tuesday night in awhile.  I’m so happy this was my first Chromeo experience.

Photos by Kelly McElwain